A significant factor in the increasing expense of health-care is the cost of diseases of the teeth and gums. Considerable advances have been made in dentifrices, mouthwashes, medications and treatment modes employed in the dentist's office. However, the primary instrument for daily home care of the teeth and gums is still the conventional toothbrush which typically has a non-rotatable handle and a fixed set of bristles at one end.
The purpose of regular brushing is, of course, not only cosmetic, such as for removal of loose food debris, but also prophylatic, such as for removal of plaque, which is believed to be a source of caries, gingivitis and periodontitis (PD).
However, a conventional toothbrush is so angled that is is very difficult to use it to remove plaque from the gingival margin (GM) and sub-gingival area (SGA). Moreover, as noted in U.S. Pat. No. 4,454,623, such conventional toothbrushes have narrow handles and it is, therefore, difficult to rotate them by hand since they often slip. That Patent notes that, in order to get the bristles into the gingival crevice, they must be rotated at a forty-five degree angle (known as the Bass method) which is difficult to accomplish using such conventional toothbrushes.